Portal Prologue - Bonus Scene
by CodyNaomiSwire
Summary: Alistair Wheatley was one of the lead engineers for the GLaDOS project, and has also overseen the creation of many other cores. But when his son mysteriously disappears, Alistair begins to question what is really happening at Aperture, and what it'll mean for him and those he loves. 'Blue Sky' continuity.


"Still no answer?" asked Alistair as Susan hung up the phone.

"No," she said, her tone grave and worried. "Oh Alistair, what if something's happened to him? It's been nearly a week now."

"Henry told me he saw Stephen only a couple days ago, and that he's alright. Besides you know him. Maybe he's just forgotten to check his messages."

Susan looked straight into his eyes. "Do you really believe that?"

Alistair let out a sigh and looked away. He had to admit, by this time he was also worrying about their son and his sudden absence. He had become concerned about having him work in Aperture in the first place, especially since they began making it mandatory for all employees to go through certain kinds of testing, but he figured Stephen's position there wouldn't warrant any unwanted attention from the scientists there.

"Ok," he said, looking back into Susan's worried face. "As soon as I can, I'll try to find him at work today. If I can't find him, I'll ring you and have you go over to his apartment, alright?"

"Ok," she said. Then she went forward and gave her husband a tight hug. "Be careful, alright?"

He returned her embrace, resting his chin on top of her head. "I will."

*********

"Mr. Wheatley, over here."

As he was going to enter the IT offices, Alistair turned to find Doug Rattman beckoning to him from around the corner.

"Doug, what're you doing here?"

"To tell you that _you're_ the one who shouldn't be here Alistair."

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about? I was going in to see if my son-"

"You won't find him here," Doug interrupted, a look of anger and grief in his eyes and voice as he said it.

"W-what do you mean?" asked Alistair, feeling his heart starting to race in his chest.

"Don't you find it strange that you weren't invited to see this next core test on GLaDOS, seeing as how you were one of the main engineers behind the GLaDOS brain mapping program?"

Alistair found himself going suddenly cold. "What are you trying to tell me Doug?"

Doug then handed Alistair a keycard. "I'm afraid you need to see for yourself. Here, you can use this to get into the central chamber. I think you'll find that your current one will prevent you from getting in. They've made sure of that. Come and meet when you've been able to process what you're about to see. You can use the ventilation ducts to get back out if you need to. I often do. We have to end this madness Alistair! And Alistair…I'm sorry…so sorry."

Before Alistair could press him for more information, Doug turned and ran down the hall.

Alistair knew Doug was a rather strange fellow, but even this sort of behavior was odd for him. Downright scary in fact. He looked at the keycard in his hand, wondering just what was awaiting him behind the door it opened. Also wondering if he dared to open it.

*******

About fifteen minutes later, Alistair was pausing in front of the door leading to the central chamber. He knew there would be cameras recording him. Either Doug hadn't thought of that, or else he figured whatever was going on was worth the risk. With a deep breath, he slid the card through the lock, and after seeing the light turn green, he stepped into the chamber.

Trying to act as if he was supposed to be there, Alistair walked casually over to the observation room, and then over to one of the ventilation ducts located on the back wall. He figured he better take Doug's warning seriously, and if he needed a quick escape, he had better be sure to be near an exit.

_"__Thank goodness I always have my pocket screwdriver with me,"_ he thought as he went to stand by it.

He then turned to look at the giant monster he had helped to create. He had been a part of the GLaDOS project hoping that it would be a helpful breakthrough in science. But so far, She had only turned out to be an experiment gone horribly wrong. Every time they tried to turn her on she went crazy and tried to kill everyone.

Thus they had started the core projects. Alistair hadn't really been so much a part of those projects as he had already completed writing the program to translate the brain mapping for them. It was hard to believe that anyone would be willing to go through the process to have their minds translated into a computer, but apparently there were some people out there willing to do it. Ms. Caroline being one on them. It often times made him sick to think about what the program did, but he also figured that somehow perhaps it could be helpful to people, even those who went through it.

…But he couldn't quite see how.

As one of the technicians walked across the floor with the new core, some more of the scientists came into the observation room, shutting the door behind them. So far no one seemed to notice Alistair. He hoped to keep it that way. As the technician began to plug the core into place, Alistair felt a shiver go down his spine as he saw how human-like this one was in its movements. Of course a spherical robot could only do so many expressions with its single eye-like optic, but he could tell, even from where he was standing at the back wall, that this one still had very much its former human qualities in personality.

It's optic also glowed a bright, stratosphere blue. It almost seemed so familiar to Alistair, that he felt another shiver travel through his body, although he wasn't quite sure why.

Then everyone began to shush as they prepared to turn their monster back on. They hit the main power switch, and her cold, metallic voice came on once again.

"w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w- whaaat iiiis- what. Is. This. What is this. THING."

Then, to Alistair's astonishment, the little core began to speak. He'd never known them to do that before. At least, not to this degree…

"Uh- uh- uh- hello! Can't- can't help noticing, you're uh, you seem to be, uh, I'm getting the impression, the, ah, the sort of vibe, that you're a bit upset right now for, for some reason. Which is fine! Absolutely fine, everyone feels out of sorts once in a while, but, um, can I suggest, though, that you try to sort of calm down, a bit? Maybe, maybe count to ten, or, um, think of something calming, calm thoughts like, uh, clouds, you know, or birds, little birds, maybe –"

Then, horror hit Alistair like a cruel bolt of lightning as recognition for the voice slammed into him.

_"__NO!"_ he thought to himself desperately as his legs began to go from beneath him. He leaned against the wall, his heart pounded painfully in his chest, shock threatening to overwhelm him. _ "NO! No no no no! It can't be! THEY CAN'T HAVE! IT'S NOT TRUE!"_

But his fears were at last confirmed as the little core eventually said, "Hello friend! I'm Wheatley!"

It was at about that time that GLaDOS went ballistic again, perhaps even worse than ever, but Alistair hardly felt or noticed anything as he fell to the floor as the tremors went through the floor underneath him. Shocked completely out of his mind, he found the world spinning around him. The scientists around him began to yell out orders to each other, desperately trying to shut her down again. Alistair then found himself yelling and scrambling forward, but instead of orders he was shouting, "STEPHEN! STEPHEN! HANG ON! I'M COMING!"

"Oh no you're not Mr. Wheatley!" came a rough voice next to him, and the next moment Alistair was grabbed by none other than Henry. He looked straight into Henry's eyes for a moment, before his face turned into a scowl of absolute rage, and then he punched Henry dead in the face. Henry stumbled back, with his nose beginning to bleed. Alistair then went to make a break for the door, but by then some of the other scientists had realized at least to some degree what was happening and blocked his way.

Alistair felt as if he could fight through all of them, feeling such a horrible fire burning inside of him now. But four and then six and finally eight men against one had him eventually forced up against the wall, with his arms pinned behind him. He struggled underneath them, desperately trying to get free.

"ARGH! NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" he screamed. "What've you done to him!? WHERE'S STEPHEN?"

"There is no Stephen anymore Mr. Wheatley," he heard a cruel voice say behind him. "Just an idiot core that is failure to science."

Alistair could hardly believe what he was hearing and what was happening…what had happened.

"Y-you did this to him! To Caroline, and all the rest! You FORCED them into it!"

"Hmph. For someone who's supposed to have one of the most brilliant minds in the facility, you sure catch on slowly to these kinds of things don't you."

Alistair now began to feel the tears streaming down his face. Not because of the man's insult, but because he now began to realize fully just what his involvement in these experiments had really been, and what they had done to all those people…to Stephen. He'd been such a fool not to see it!

"Why? For God's sake, why are you doing this?"

"I'm afraid you already know a bit too much Mr. Wheatley. Besides telling you wouldn't make any difference, especially seeing as how you'll never be able to tell anyone anything about what you have just seen today anyway. Thank you Mr. Wheatley, but your services are no longer required."

Alistair then felt a slight pinch in his neck. _"Oh God, no!"_ he thought to himself, as he began to feel himself starting to lose focus. Doug, Susan…and Stephen. He had failed them all! Especially Stephen.

_"__I..I'm so sorry…my boy…"_ he just managed to say out loud. But then he felt his voice give out, and then he could only think, _"Forgive me…Oh God please, forgive me…"_

Then, he slipped into darkness.


End file.
